Kustanair Horse

The Kustanair is a breed of horse developed in the former Soviet Union. The horses have bred in two different herds under different conditions and then the animals were compared against each other.

The best individuals then went to the breeding programme. The result was an excellent transport and all purpose draft animal that were relatively easy to handle, but with a somewhat erratic temperament.

History

In the former Soviet Union there was extensive experimentation with breed development and the crossing of the Russian domestic horses, the most notable cross breeds were the noble European Warmblood horses and the English thoroughbred horses.

The Kustanair developed through crosses with the Thoroughbred, the Donhastar and now the extinct Russian mountain horses. In the 1800s the Royal Russian cavalry performed with many different breeds.

At the state stud horses are bred in different herds, and reared in completely different circumstances. The one herd is fed good quality oats and hay, and boxed at night and in bad weather and are bred very selectively.

The other herd is half wild, they are pastured all the time and year round, with no monitoring of breeding and the horses had to forage for themselves as well.

The results of the experiment resulted in two different types of horses. The horses that had food and shelter to stand inside produced riding horses of superior quality while the outdoor horses became stronger and a bit more powerful being able to work the farms better.

The resultant offspring was then crossed with more Thoroughbred horses and in some cases the horses developed a more distinctive confirmation. This new outcross was the final horses chosen as the breed foundation which the stud continued to breed.

There are still three distinctive blood lines bred today of the Kustanair horses.
There are the two original types and then the new breed.

Attributes

The Kustanair is primarily an excellent wagon horse that is strong, sustainable and secure on the foot. They have mostly a calm temperament, but some horses may be somewhat unstable with an erratic temperament.
The stud is trying to improve the horse breed by selective breeding of animals.

The Kustanair is available in three types. The medium sized draft horse is the most common of the three and the horse that is considered to be the more true or “real” Kustanair.

There is also an lighter, saddle riding horse and a heavier version being a work horse of the Kustanair breed.